Spool feeding means for sheets of veneer



July 16, 1968 zuHo YAMASHITA 1 3,392,854

SPOOL FEEDING MEANS FOR SHEETS OF VENEER Filed Aug. 5, 1965 INVENTOR MZI/HO YAMASH/ 734 United States Patent 3,392,854 SPOOL FEEDING MEANS FOR SHEETS OF VENEER Mizuho Yamashita, Osaka-shi, Japan, assignor to Eidai Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Aug. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 477,517 3 Claims. (Cl. 21416.4)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the manufacture of veneer the sheets when first cut from the log are wound on a spool, and in this wound position are transported to a second station where the veneer sheets are unwound from the spool and moved into a dryer. The spools are reused time and again and are automatically returned to the initial winding position from the second station so that the spools may be wound with great rapidity and without manual handling.

This invention relates to a method and means to wind a sheet of veneer onto a spool and to transfer the spool of veneer to another position for unwinding, and then to return the empty spOOl to a position where that empty spool may be again refilled by a sheet of veneer.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel means to convey a roll of veneer to a remote point for subsequent unwinding from that spool, and to return the empty spool to the original point of loading; the movement of the full and empty spools being accomplished by gravity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel method and means to wind sheets of veneer whereby both the full and empty spools are caused to move by gravity, and are lifted to positions to permit the spools to roll by gravity.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a method and means of storing the full spools of veneer on various rails so that they can await subsequent unrolling that might be required, for example, where a subsequent drying step is required.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawing FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention to wind and transport sheets of veneer on spools.

3,392,854 Patented July 16, 1968 ICE upon which the cable 8 is reeled. The veneer sheet 2, when moving from the log 1 to the spool 4, travels over a conveyer belt 9, and the outer end of this conveyer belt is counterbalanced as shown at 10, so that the outer end of the belt can move in a vertical are as the veneer sheet is reeled onto the spool 4. An inclined rail 11 extends between the frame 6 and a second vertical elevator frame 12, so that the filled roll 4 of the veneer sheet will roll by gravity towards the right, as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2. When the filled spool 4 of veneer reaches the vertical frame 12 it will rest on a second elevator block 13, which block is moved vertically in the frame 12 by means of the power driven pulley 14. The elevator block 13 is attached to a cable 15 which encircles the pulley 14, and is attached to the elevator 13. Thus the filled spool of veneer can be raised to a position where it can be unloaded onto an inclined rail 16 or 17. The rails 16 and 17 are both inclined downwardly towards: the right and are mounted within the vertical frame members 18 and 19. The rails 16 and 17 permit filled spools of veneer to be stored for short intervals of time, while one of the filled spools is being unreeled to permit completion of a further step in the manufacture of veneer sheets.

The filled and empty spools for the veneer sheets must be-halted at intervals as they move over the rails 16-17 and others, which will be subsequently described. The reason being that the following steps in the manufacture of veneer sheets require more than the mere first cutting and spooling of veneer sheets from the original log. Consequently, a suitable stop mechanism such as that illustrated in FIGURE 4 might be employed.

This control means for the spools 4 consists of a pair of vertically movable fingers 20-21, both of which engage a pinion 22. The pinion 22 is rotated by means of a rack 23 which is attached to a piston 24 in the cylinder 25. Suitable pneumatic or hydraulic pressure is exerted FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an ap- Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a log which is rotatably mounted and driven in the usual veneer lathe (not shown) to cut a thin strip of wood 2 from the log, which strip is-termed a veneer sheet. The strip or sheet of veneer 2 is cut by means of a long knife 3 which engages the periphery of the log, all of which is usual and well known in the art. The sheet or strip of veneer 2 is first rolled onto a spool 4 as it is cut from the log 1 the motive power for this rolling action being power applied to the log.

The spool 4, upon which the veener sheet 2 is first wound, is positioned on an elevator 5 which is movable vertically in a frame 6. The elevator 5 is moved up and down within the frame 6 by means of a power driven lift mechanism 7, which consists primarily of a pulley in the piston 24, which will move the rack 23 and rotate the pinion 22, thus raising or lowering the fingers 20-21 to halt the movement of the spools 4 to retard the movement of the filled spools until the subsequent steps in the treatment of veneer sheets has been completed.

When the first spool 4 has been filled with a sheet of veneer from the log 1, this filled spool will be raised slightly by the elevator 5 until the spool is aligned with the inclined rail 11. The filled spool continues to roll until it rests on the elevator 13. This elevator, in turn, is now raised by the elevating mechanism until the spool is in alignment with the inclined rail 16. The filled spool now rolls on this rail 16 to a point where the sheet of veneer is removed from the spool for subsequent treatment, such as for drying. When the spool is empty it is elevated by a ladder type conveyer 26 which is driven by suitable power means (not shown). The empty spool is then transferred to another inclined rail 27 which is inclined towards the left, as shown in FIGURE 1. The rail 27 terminates in the vertical frame 6 and can be picked up by the elevator 5 and lowered within the frame 6 to a position to be filled with another sheet of veneer.

If the rail 16 should be filled with rolls of veneer, then the elevator 13 can be raised to the inclined rail 17. At the outer end of the rail 17 a second ladder type conveyer 28 is positioned, and this ladder elevator will raise the empty spools to another inclined rail 29 which permits the empty spools to roll towards the left, as viewed in FIGURE 1, where the spools are picked up by a vertical elevator 30 and lowered onto the rail 27, where they are returned to the initial reeling position previously described.

In FIGURE 3 I have illustrated a dual type of veneer cutting in which another lathe cutting blade and conduits identical to those previously described and are here shown at 31. The, veneer cutting operation, as well as the spooling and the conveying of the spools, is all identical to that previously described, but in this instance the filled rolls of veneer are deposited on a hand operated car 32 which is moved back and forth by a workman and conveys the rolls of veneer to the first described mechanism, and the sheets of veneer are removed for further processing all of which is usual and well known in the art. The empty spools are deposited on a roller type conveyer 33, which returns the rolls to the second mechanism where they are again filled with a sheet of veneer. It is customary in the manufacture of veneer sheets to produce narrow sheets, as well as wide sheets, particularly after the original log has been materially reduced in diameter. The log is then cut into shorter lengths and used in an adjacent cutting mechanism.

In operation A spool 4 is first caused to rest on the elevator 5 and the sheet of veneer 2 is wound thereon. After the spool is full it moves by gravity on the inclined rail 11, having been lifted slightly by the elevator 5 onto this rail. The filled spool now rolls onto the elevator 13 and is raised to the level of the rail 16 or 17 where the filled spool rolls by gravity to a position along these rails where the veneer sheet is unrolled for subsequent treatment. The empty rolls 4 are now moved upwardly by either of the conveyers 26 or 28 and are deposited on one of the inclined rails 27 or 29. The empty spools now move towards the left and are deposited in the vertical frame member 6 and are lowered by the elevator 5 to the original position Where they are again filled with a sheet of veneer.

I claim:

1. A spool feeding means for sheets of veneer comprising:

a frame, including an inclined rail sloping continuously from one end thereof to the other,

a spool on which the veneer is wound, said spool being slidably mounted on said rail to move by gravity from one end of the rail where the veneer is wound to the other end of the rail,

a second inclined rail in said frame positioned above the first named rail,

an elevator means between the outer ends of said rails to elevate said spool from the outer end of the first named rail to the adjacent end of the second named rail,

a third inclined rail in said frame, said third inclined rail terminating in said frame adjacent to the winding position of the spool in said frame,

an elevator means extending between the terminal end of the third rail and the end of the first rail adjacent the log peeling means whereby spools are lowered to the initial winding position.

2. A spool feeding means for sheets of veneer comprising:

a frame, including an inclined rail sloping continuously from one end thereof to the other,

a spool on which the veneer is wound, said spool being slidably mounted on said rail to move by gravity from one end of the rail where the veneer is wound to the other end of the rail,

3,392,854, a, i i,

V a second inclined rail in said the first named rail,

an elevator means between the outer ends of said rails to elevate said spool from the outer end of the first named rail to the adjacent end of the second named rail,

a thirdinclined rail in said frame, saidathird inclined rail'terminating in said frame adjacent to the=winding position of the spoolin said frame;

an elevator means extending between theterminal end of the third rail and the end of the first rail adjacent the log peeling means whereby spools are lowered to the initial winding position,

a plurality of stop meansspaced throughout the length of said third rail,

said spool being engageable with thestop means to interrupt the movement of said. spool along the rail.

3. A spool feeding means for sheets of veneer comprising:

a frame, including an inclined rail sloping continuously from one end thereof to the other, v

a spool on which the veneer is wound, said spool being slidably mounted on said rail to move by gravity from one end of the rail where the veneer is wound to the other end of the rail,

a second inclined rail in said frame positioned above the first named rail,

an elevator means between the outer ends of said rails to elevate said spool from the outer end of the first named rail to the adjacent end of the second named rail,

a third inclined rail in said frame, said third inclined rail terminating in said frame adjacent to the winding, position of the spool in said frame,

an elevator means extending between the terminal end of the third rail and the end of the first rail adjacent the log peeling means, whereby spools are lowered to the initial winding position,

a plurality of stop means spaced throughout the. length of said third rail,

said spool being engageable with the stop means to interrupt the movement of said spool along the rail,

and an elevator means engageable with said spools to lift said spools from the outer end of the second rail to the adjacent end of the third rail.

frame positioned. above References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 574,722 1/1897 Farini 19340 746,247 12/1903 Baggaley 21416.'4 1,088,980 3/1914 Goble 21416.4 1,776,201 9/1930 Clair et al. 214-164 1,852,827 4/1932 Smith 19332. 2,020,552 11/ 1935 Hills 2'1'416.4 2,713,446 7/1955 Vaughan 19840 2,728,466 12/1955 Postlewaite et al. 198-40 3,068,987 12/1962 Franklin 214--16;6

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner. GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner. I

R. B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner. 

